Photographer: Ben Cope Stylist: Anna Schilling Hair/Makeup: Blondie
You've been called the “big sister of the internet.” How do you balance the role of offering honest commentary while maintaining a positive and supportive environment for your audience?
I wouldn’t necessarily say I'm intentionally trying to maintain a positive and supportive environment, it just kind of comes naturally at times. One rule I have for myself when it comes to commentary is I will never say anything in a video I would not say to someone's face. That goes for criticizing someone for scamming their audience or telling my audience they need to invest in a decent bottle brush if they are going to be regularly using refillable water bottles because they can get pretty gross over time. If anything, I think I fall more into the sibling vibe of “our parents won’t tell you about this but someone has to so listen up.”
With winter around the corner, what are your top fashion trends for the season? Are there any specific brands or pieces you're particularly excited about?
I am a grade A sweater hoarder and I am so glad the heat is finally breaking in LA so I can pull them down from my top shelves. I love the classic summer to fall transition outfit of miniskirts with a sweater, blending elements of femininity with comfort and coziness. I also love a good long sweater dress, they are flattering but also feel like wearing a weighted blanket half the time and I love it. My favorite brands for fall fashion lately have been Meshki, & Other Stories, and Zadig and Voltaire. All have amazing knitwear and cool yet girly pieces I can mix and match well to keep my collection feeling fresh for the colder months. Even though it doesn’t get all that cold in LA.
Winter can be tough on the skin. What are your go-to products to combat dry skin, and do you have any tips for maintaining healthy skin during the colder months?
I have dry combination skin so I am all about hydration. I found a hyaluronic acid serum from Evolve Organic Beauty I can’t live without now and I use it morning and night with a hydrating grape mist from Caudalie to lock in extra moisture. It’s pretty normal for the moisturizer that works for you in the spring and summer but doesn't cut it in the colder months, so I always recommend seeing if your favorite brands have heavier duty moisturizers than the one you are using since you know the brand already works well with your skin. Staying hydrated as well is a huge factor. If you don’t like water for whatever reason or even just still feel like you aren't getting enough throughout the day, eating foods with a high-water content is a great way to get more in your system.
You mentioned having a number 1 beauty product you can’t leave home without. What is it and why does it hold such a special place in your routine?
I technically have two: a good SPF and Lancome’s Idole mascara. I did Accutane for 10 months in 2020 for my hormonal acne and when you are on Accutane sun protection is imperative because it makes you so much more sensitive. In just 10 months of religiously wearing SPF I saw such a drastic change in my skin and I’m not just talking about losing my acne that I now don’t even work from home without it. I used Supergoop! Unseen sunscreen for years, it’s great for under makeup but I’ve been trying more Korean Beauty brands SPFs lately. I’m currently using one from Beauty of Joseon that is so hydrating. I love it. Idole has been my go-to mascara for a while now. As a full-time creator, I’m on camera a lot constantly recording or getting content, but I can’t possibly wear a full face of makeup everyday (mainly because I don't want to). Since I am naturally blonde a good deal of my body hair grows in super pale, and my eyelashes are no exception. Simply wearing just mascara can make a world of difference in highlighting my eyes on camera especially when I’m wearing my glasses. Idole is a great pigmented black and I never worry about it flaking or smudging when I’m not wearing anything else but skincare.
Your journey to success hasn’t been without its challenges. Can you share some of the major obstacles you faced and how you overcame them?
I think the obstacle I am most proud of working through is being told I have dyslexia. I don’t like saying “diagnosed with dyslexia” because it makes it sound more serious than it is. It’s a learning disability and it just means I had to train my brain to learn differently than what a lot of schools consider normal. I officially tested for it in the third grade, and though I dealt with a lot of bullying because kids thought they could “catch my stupid if they played with me” I’m glad my teachers realized early and I was able to get extra tutoring and ended up starting middle school reading at an eleventh grade level when I had previously just put my head in a book and cried because I couldn't make the letters make sense. I think over the years this has really helped me look at questions, trends, and problems differently, and has really helped me find my voice and who I am online.
Can you tell us more about your vision for Swell Entertainment and how you’re planning to expand beyond it? What new projects are you most excited about?
I had originally started my channel at 16 as a place to get discovered and make short films. I really like the idea of turning it into a legitimate traditional production studio for films and television. There’s a lot of incredible creators out there that want to make their own projects on a grander scale, so one of my goals in the next twelve months is to help produce one of these projects and help make it happen. I moved to LA from Orange County to pursue acting years ago, but once Swell Entertainment started going full steam ahead, I haven't been able to put as much time into my acting as I would like, so I'm thrilled to be making the conscious efforts to get back into class and pursue auditions.
You’re delving into writing screenplays, novels, and nonfiction books. What inspired you to explore these new creative outlets, and can you give us a hint about what you're working on?
I have always been a writer, which is funny since I don’t script my videos and don’t like to do so. I majored in English in college. Like all writers I have what feels like a million and one ideas for novels and screenplays. I have a few finished bad drafts that I am cracking back open to try and make something with them. One of which I actually documented the process of writing in one month for a video back in 2021 for NaNoWriMo. As for nonfiction, I have so many stories from events, from traveling alone, from growing up with an addict and leaving an abusive home to becoming a semi public internet figure that I just want to get out on paper. So maybe some of those would make for an interesting read one day.
Social media plays a huge role in today’s world. How do you navigate the pressures and expectations of social media while staying true to yourself?
I always say if you don’t know who you are with zero views, you won’t be any surer of yourself with ten million views. Though I know how badly I wanted it at sixteen when I started my channel, I am so so grateful that my channel did not take off till I was twenty-two. I had been through so much life in those years that I had fully come into who I was as a person before I got that first million view video, and I am so glad for that. I was a menace and half at sixteen, you did not want me getting millions of views a month back then. I do still have an anxiety disorder however, so knowing my limits with this job, especially when so much of my content inspiration comes from just being perpetually online, is incredibly important. Knowing when I need to end a livestream or click out of a comment section or leave an app and go for a walk with my dog Hermes, go get dinner with friends in real life, call my dad and talk about the day, is a skill that I think every creator needs to maintain themselves.
Creating a positive space online is crucial. What steps do you take to ensure that your platforms are welcoming and supportive for your followers?
I think it just kind of happened naturally to be honest with you. My format from 2024 is largely the same as it was in 2019, my apartment has just changed. I talk about an event, a product, a social media firestorm to the camera and share my findings and feelings about it. I have often had people tell me it’s like we are on facetime or we just met up for our weekly coffee date and I’m rambling about what I saw online that day. For events I just have the added lens of footage where I am literally taking the audience with me, and they get to watch from the comfort of their rooms. I have actually had an issue lately where I have accidentally made my career around a vaguely parasocial format, so I have people thinking they know me better than they do. My guy audience in particular is getting out of hand. On one hand it’s great, I love getting messages from people saying I’m the bright spot of their week, or that my videos of me going to events alone gave them the courage to go to a concert or convention alone. That I love! What crosses the line is guys thinking they get to follow me around an event because “well you’re alone and I’m alone so we should hang out” type of thing.
Finding balance between online life and the real world is important. How do you personally manage screen time and make time for the outdoors and offline activities?
It’s definitely a personal barometer that you learn how to check in with. My screen time on my phone is insane, I think it’s currently thirteen hours a day. Big yikes. But some of that is podcasts I listen to while I walk my dogs, audiobooks while I drive, etc. Thankfully a large part of my content now is reviewing events, and so much of what makes event reviews compelling is that I actually have to go and experience the events, live it, learn it. I can’t do that if my head is buried in my phone the whole time. I love going on long walks with my dog Hermes. I like to joke he’s my producer so if we don’t go on regular walks I will hear from his union. I love reading as well and going to the movies. Trading my little screens for the big screens.